We are the nation that built the Hoover Dam and the Transcontinental Railroad. Landed a man on the moon. Cured polio. Built the internet. Sequenced the human genome. And we will be the nation to end cancer as we know it.

This is the history of the journey of this country: It’s one of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. I believe that as much today as I did when I got elected to the United States Senate as a 29-year-old kid. But we have to remember who we are. At our best, America has always thought big. That’s why the negativity, the pettiness, the small-mindedness of our politics today drives me crazy. We’re better than this.

It’s time to reach deep into the soul of this country and once again give everyone — and I mean everyone — the opportunity to achieve the impossible. It’s time to look beyond 24-hour news cycles and 140-character arguments. It’s time to treat each other with dignity and respect. Not as opponents, but as fellow Americans. Because that’s what we are.

This is a time for big dreams and American possibilities. If that’s what you believe — and you’re ready to help elect folks who believe that, and to support groups and causes that embody that spirit — then I’m asking you to join me today.